The Dove That Softened The Skull
by DaughterofHades136
Summary: Scarlet is the new girl at Camp Half-Blood. What happens when she becomes friends with the Son of Hades? What happens when she decides to prove to the camp and her siblings that there is more to life then just beauty. Read and Review please!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO but I do own Scarlet, Alexander, Charles, Duncan, Andrew and Jackie.**

**A/N: I posted this on my other account. "Two-Bit Matthews Future Wife" But I forgot my password and username for it plus I'm changing the name to it since it really doesn't fit with the story. so yeah. **

**Chapter 1**

Scarlet sat down in her "_Nightmare before Christmas_" desk chair and colored in her Greek coloring book, her uncle got her, while her father, Charles Vega, braided her midnight black hair down her back. She looked up for a moment, sensing something wrong.

"What's wrong Daddy?" she asked. Her father paused his breathing.

"Oh, nothing, I'm just thinking." He said and tied her her braid with a black bow to keep it from falling apart.

Scarlet searched through her crayon box, looking for a pink crayon for the flowers that Persephone had. She found out that she broke them all since she hated the color. Scarlet sighed and decided to make the flowers be dead instead since Persephone was the queen of the dead.

"I'll be right back sweetie, I have to call your Uncle Anthony." He said and kissed the top of her head as he left the room. Scarlet watched him leave and stared down at her picture of the queen of the dead. Her father never called her uncle unless it was something serious. Maybe it was about her mother...

Scarlet never knew her mom. Her dad had told her that she died in an accident the day after Scarlet was born. Her father never mentioned her mom. Scarlet hopped out of her chair and walked over to her T.V. She turned it on and started watching her favorite show, "_The Addams Family_," while she waited for her dad.

She heard her dad, yelling on the phone about her mother...her father never talked about her mother with uncle. The only thing Scarlet remembered about her was her smile. She crept up to the door and opened it a little, then walked out.

"Daddy?" She said in a soft, yet scared voice.

Her father was standing in the kitchen. His face was red with anger while he set his cell phone on the kitchen table. Scarlet hardly ever saw her dad angry and she knew she wasn't an easy child to raise since she had ADHD and dyslexia. He looked up and met her deep green eyes.

"Oh sweetie, I have to tell you something." his face softened and he motioned for her to come closer. Scarlet slowly stepped forward, trying to stop herself from crying.

"Don't cry sweetie." he hugged her, trying to comfort her. Scarlet looked up into his eyes, wiping away her tears that already fell onto her pale cheeks.

"Just listen. Go to your room, grab your backpack and pack a change of clothes." her father a serious look on his face. Scarlet nodded and her father kissed her forehead and let her go off to her room.

She ran to her room and got out her Batman book bag. She grabbed a blood red shirt with a broken heart on it, black jeans, black-and-white knee high socks, black gloves with the fingers cut off. She shoved the outfit into her bag and made sure that she had her skull bracelet on her wrist. Scarlet ran out of her room as her father handed her another bag. She took it and slung it over her shoulder.

Her father led her out the front door and helped Scarlet into their white Chevy SUV. He started it up and drove down the road once he got into the driver seat.

"D-daddy? Where are we going?" Scarlet asked in a shaky voice.

"Sweetie, I think it would be better to wait and let your Uncle Anthony tell you, but let's just say it has something to do with your mother." he answered.

Scarlet nodded and stared out the window as the trees whizzed by in a blur. She was silent for the rest of the ride. Her father casually turned on the radio to an oldies channel. He hummed along tapping the steering wheel to the rhythm of the song. Scarlet wondered how her father could be so relaxed while she was scared and worried. She tried to calm herself

down by watching the scenery outside. She saw a deer dart in front of their SUV, barley being missed from being hit. Her father slammed on the brakes just as the deer ran into the woods. If they had been going a little faster, the deer wouldn't have gotten away. Her father got out of the car and looked around. Scarlet turned her eyes back to were the deer came from. She thought she saw a glimpse of something green. She rolled down the window and stuck her head out. She could hear snakes hissing in the woods.

Scarlet slowly opened her door, right as a boy came running out of the woods, screaming. He ran up to the car and hid behind it. A hideous green lady with snakes for hair walked out of woods. Scarlet instinctively looked away, her eyes meeting the boys eyes as he peeked through the driver's side window. She looked into his dark red eyes. Scarlet let her instincts take over as the lady grabbed for her. She crawled under the car to the other side. The boy pulled her up to her feet. Scarlet's dad walked out of the woods and almost looked up into the lady's eyes but Scarlet and the boy pulled him down to the ground. Scarlet watched the ground, seeing the lady slowly walk around to their side of the SUV. The boy took out a Stygian Iron sword, as Scarlet played with her bracelet but when she looked down it wasn't her bracelet but a silver and black bow in her hand a quiver of arrows on her back full of the same silver colored arrows.

The boy walked slowly towards the lady while keeping his eyes on the ground and Scarlet followed his lead, loading one of the arrows into the bow.

"By the way, I'm Nico, son of Hades." the boy whispered.

"I'm Scarlet, daughter of...that guy back there." She said, point to her dad.

Nico laughed and swung his sword at the snake lady. She dodged it and lunged at him trying to get him to look up into her eyes. Scarlet stood back and aimed her arrow at the snake lady's heart then let go. The arrow pierced through her heart. The snake lady screamed while she yanked the arrow out, struggling to breath. Nico charged, and was thrown back at least 15 feet into a tree, dropping his sword.. Scarlet flinched and picked his sword up off the ground then swung at the snake lady's head. Beheading her like Scarlet has down to all of her dolls that she had.

The lady's head fell onto the road and rolled off into the grass. Scarlet stepped back, towards her father's SUV. She stared at the sword before letting it drop to the ground and glanced at the snake lady's headless body that dissolved into a yellow dust except for her head that Scarlet refused to even look at. Nico grabbed her arm, making her jump. He grabbed his sword off the ground and put it back into his belt loop, looking at her in shock. Scarlet knew that Stygian Iron could only be used by someone from the Underworld and that it burned anyone who tried to use it. But it didn't even hurt her which was weird...

She would have gone face-first into the ground if Nico hadn't caught her and helped her sit inside the SUV. She had no idea where that fighting in her came from. Nico told Scarlet's dad to get in the SUV. HE slid in beside her in the back seat. Scarlet's dad started the car up again and continued down the road in silence. Nico wrapped his arms around Scarlet, trying to comfort her.

"Nico, what was that?" Scarlet asked quietly, still surprised about what she had just done. Her father turned the radio back on to brake the silence.

Nico whispered in Scarlet's ear, "Medusa."

Scarlet's eyes grew wide. She remembered hearing about Medusa on T.V. and it made her have nightmares for weeks and she just destroyed her...

Scarlet looked down at her hands, that where covered in what looked like green slime but Scarlet knew it was Medusa's green blood. Scarlet shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and snuggled up to Nico.

She set her head on his shoulder, sighing. She looked out the window, noticing that the scenery looked unfamiliar. There was nobody out there, no cars, no houses, no stores, nothing. The road started to turn into a dirt road as they drove through the empty country side. Her dad turned down a mulch covered road and stopped.

"Scarlet, get your stuff and go with Nico." Her dad said as he turned around in his seat.

Scarlet looked confused and asked her dad, "Why?"

"Just go, you can trust him." His eyes were kind and soft as he said that.

Scarlet nodded and grabbed her bags while Nico hopped out the car. He helped her down.

"Be careful, sweetie." her dad said through the open window. He sighed, put the car in reverse and drove off.

Nico and Scarlet were alone.

"Come on" Nico grabbed her hand and pulled her forward.

She stumbled forward but Nico pulled her to her feet. They raced up a hill that Nico called Half-Blood Hill. Nico and Scarlet stopped in their tracks and turned around.

Something was coming out of the woods. Scarlet clung onto Nico and hid behind him.

A hell hound jumped out of the woods and landed in front of Scarlet and Nico, baring his teeth. Nico started for his sword but Scarlet put her hand on his arm. She stepped around Nico and sat down in front of the hell hound.

"Scar..." Nico whispered.

She looked up at him and put a finger to her lips to tell him to be quiet. The hell hound growled at Scarlet. She turned back to the hell hound and reached out to cam him down. He growled again, but this time it was at Nico, who took his sword out.

Scarlet grabbed his sword from his hands and shoved it into the ground.

"Leave it." She ordered.

Nico looked at her in shock, but he left his sword alone. Scarlet placed her hand on the hell hound's head and calmed him down. Nico was sitting down beside Scarlet as the hell hound put his two front paws in her lap and licked her face.

"Well, what are you going to name your new hell hound?" Nico asked.

Scarlet thought for a moment before saying, "Duncan."

Duncan barked happily at his new name and new master. Scarlet and Nico started down the hill with Duncan in front of them. Duncan stopped walking and turned around to Scarlet and Nico, whimpering.

"Scar, you stand by Duncan. I have to do something that allows him into camp." Nico said and walked a little pass a pine tree. He turned around and said,

"I, Nico James di Angelo, allow Duncan into Camp Half-Blood."

Scarlet walked passed the pine tree with Duncan and together Nico, Scarlet and Duncan walked into camp while getting odd looks from a lot of the campers because apparently a hell hound doesn't walk through camp everyday.

Nico led Scarlet to a half-horse, half-man who was watching the campers practice with each others. He turned around and smiled at them,

"Uncle Anthony?" Scarlet said in shock. She looked at the familiar face of her uncle.

He chuckled, "Yes but in my world I'm known as Chiron. I am the camp director of Camp Half-Blood.

"Okay, horse-dude." Scarlet grinned and looked around at the different campers.

Chiron laughed and put a hand on Scarlet's shoulder.

"Why am I here? What is this place?" She asked, looking into Chiron's dark eyes.

"This is Camp Half-Blood, the camp for demigods like you and Nico and every child here." he trotted over to a camper. "This is Alexander, Hera's only demigod son and child. He can show you around and help you out."

Alexander smiled brightly and slid his sword into it's case on his belt loop. Nico slipped his arm through Scarlet's.

"Oh no, I'm showing her around camp, not Momma's boy here."

Alexander growled at Nico and took his sword back out, "Bring it on Death boy."

Nico's sword magically appeared in his hand. Scarlet tried to hold him back, begging him not to fight over her. He pulled away from her and stepped towards Alexander.

"Chiron! Do something!" Scarlet said, looking at the camp director.

"Let them be, it will be good practice for them." he nodded as he watched Nico and Alexander prepare to fight.

Scarlet sighed and sat down beside Duncan then buried her face in what little fur he had.

"Well, come on then, let's fight!" Alexander said, trying to sound tough.

Scarlet could hear their swords clashing a few feet away from her and Duncan. Scarlet looked up when she heard the swords being dropped.

"Andrew, put Nico and Alexander down." Chiron said.

A tough looking kid was holding Nico and Alexander by the collars of their shirts, and their feet dangling about the ground. Andrew snicked and released them, making them fall onto their faces. Scarlet rushed to Nico's side, hugging him tightly.

"Nico, you shouldn't have to fight over me." She said quietly, trying to comfort him. He glared at Alexander one more time and nodded.

Alexander got up and stormed off, mumbling in Ancient Greek as Scarlet held Nico close.

"Nico, take Scarlet to cabin eleven until she is claimed." Chrion said.

Scarlet followed Nico to cabin eleven. There was a little girl drawling on a piece of paper while everyone else was pranking each other. Nico let out a loud whistle and everyone in the cabin looked at him. Some of the older campers were sizing Scarlet up. She felt scared but didn't let it show...at least that's what she thought. The little girl walked up to Nico,

"Who is she Neeks?" she asked, brushing away her blonde curly hair. Nico patted her head, causing her to let out a squeal.

"This is Scarlet Vega, Chiron said she has to stay here until she is claimed." Nico said, putting an arm around her. Duncan walked into the cabin and layed down at Scarlet's feet.

"Neeks, why is there a hell hound in camp?" the little girl asked Nico, looking very scared.

"Oh that's just her pet hell hound so..." Nico looked up at the rest of the campers in the cabin as he said the last part, "...I wouldn't get on her bad side, unless you want him to tear you to shreds."

The campers immediately got a scared their eyes. Some of them even hid under blankets hoping to protect them from Scarlet's hell hound.

Scarlet giggled and patted Duncan's head.

"Have fun!" Nico said before turning back to the door.

Scarlet jumped up and gave him a quick hug before he left. She was glad that she had already made a friend. When Nico left, the little girl tapped on Scarlet's shoulder. She spun around and smiled at her.

"Hi I'm Jackie." the little girl smiled, showing that she was missing a front tooth.

"Hi Jackie!" She smiled, hoping she had found a new friend.

Jackie giggled a bit.

"So, um Jackie, which god's cabin is this exactly?" Scarlet asked.

"It's my daddy's cabin!" Jackie squealed.

"Who's you dad?

"Hermes!"

Scarlet looked around the old brown cabin as she hid her skull bracelet with her sleeve.

"Cool, well I'm gonna go train so see ya later." Scarlet said as she left the cabin, and ran down the stairs crashing into a girl in a light pink dress and too much perfume.

"Hey! Watch where your going freak!"

"Um, excuse me?" Scarlet said, putting her hand on her hip and examined the girl's dress. It hurt her eyes to look at the hideous color.

"Seriously what are you wearing?" the girl eyed Scarlet's black clothes that was slightly splatted with Medusa's green blood. She rolled her eyes.

Scarlet pushed past the girl and continued onward, not wanting to get in a fight on her first day there. She wandered the camp hoping that she could find Nico to help her out. She saw a bunch of campers running around and practicing. But no Nico in sight. Scarlet sighed as the couch blew and campers started for the mess hall. She felt someone pick her up. She caught a glimpse of black hair and a orange camp T-shirt.

"Oh great, I'm getting kidnapped by Alexander." Scarlet thought.

Alexander slung Scarlet onto his shoulder and walked towards the mess hall. She felt everyone's eyes on them as he sat her down at the Hermes table then walked to his table.

Jackie, who was seated across from her, looked at her with big eyes, "Was that your boyfriend?" she asked, looking surprised.

"NO! He's..."she tried to find the right word. "He's just a guy I met."

Jackie nodded not really believing her. Scarlet got in line for dinner and grabbed a tray of her favorite food: a green apple, french fries, and vanilla ice cream. She sat back down in front of Jackie. She used her spoon to swirl her ice cream while it slowly melted.

Jackie watched as Scarlet dipped a fry into her some-what melted ice cream.

"Eww." Jackie mumbled under her breath.

"Excuse me." Scarlet said, dipping another salty fry into her ice cream then eating it.

"You're eating French fries with ice cream on them."

Scarlet rolled her eyes and finished eating. The horn blew and she followed her cabin to the campfire.

While Chiron talked to the campers, Scarlet scanned the group of people. She soon found Nico staring at her. Their eyes met and he smiled brightly at her. She smiled back and turned her focus back to Chiron.

Scarlet walked over to Chiron, wanting to talk to him but at the last second decided to talk to him tomorrow. He smiled at Scarlet, as she walked towards where her cabin was seated.

Nico walked over to where Scarlet was sitting at. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders causing her to blush. Chiron started doing the camp announcement or as Scarlet calls it, "He is wasting my life, let me go hang out in a graveyard with Nico, my dad and Duncan." She sighed and pretended to pay attention.

"Follow me." Nico whispered into her ear, his cold breath making goose bumps on her arms.

She looked over her shoulder to see him making his way out of the crowd. She quickly followed him out before she lost him. Once they were out of the crowd, Nico grabbed her small hand and led her towards the woods.

Once they were in the woods, Nico turned around and faced Scarlet. Nico gasped.

"What?" Scarlet asked.

"Um, come here Beauty Queen." He said and led her to the lake in the center of the woods.

Scarlet eyes widen when she saw her refection.

Her hair that was once just in a braid down her back was now beautifully curled with golden ribbons entwined into the curls. Instead of her usually black clothes have now been replaced with a knee-high white satin dress, with white one-inch heels.

She took one last look at her reflection then screamed at the top of her lungs.

She has just been claimed by the one goddess she never ever wanted to be her mother.

Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO. I just own my character who I really don't feel like listing so ya. **

Scarlet woke up before any of, the other Aphrodite kids. Even though she'd rather sleep, she wanted to be ready and out of the cabin before the drama started. She knew that when they woke up, they instantly got ready, spraying their powerfl perfume and tossing around frilly pink clothes.  
She gagged at the thought. Scarlet wanted to get out of that cabin no matter what or else she was going to puke up her dinner from last night.  
Scarlet grabbed her skelton plushie, and her Batman bookbag filled with three bottles of rasberry flavored water, her favorite books tranlated into Anicent Greek, "Radiant Darkness" and "Asphodel", and a box of Hot-n-Spicy Cheese-its. She then pulled on her skelton jacket and walked out of the cabin.  
Nico was waiting for her, smiling brightly. He was wearing all black as always and the handle of his sword glisted in the sunlight.  
"Do you have everything?" he asked, hooking his arm with Scarlet while they walked down the dirt path.  
"Yep, I brought plenty of food, too." the two friends walked into the woods to start their journey for the day.  
"Wouldn't it be great if we found a perfect place for a hide-away?" Nico said, sounding excited.  
Scarlet simply nodded and stared out at the trees wering over them.  
Nico let go of Scarlet and bent down and picked a red rose that was dying. He stood up straight, pushing a bit of hair out of her face then putting the dead rose in her hair.  
Scarlet smiled softly at NIco, and gently kissed his cheek.  
"Aw," a voice said from behind them.  
Scarlet and Nico turned around and came face-to-face with Scarlet's older sister, Drew.  
"Isn't that just sweet," Drew rolled her eyes as she stepped closer. She plcked the dead rose out of Scarlet's haird and tossed it over her shoulder.  
"Now, let's see, how would Chiron feel if a certain couple was sneaking off into the woods at the crack of dawn?" She said, slowly pacing around them.  
Scarlet remained calm, trying not to punch her in the face.  
"We're not dating, so just leave us alone, Drew." Scarlet said, with a little anger in her voice.  
Drew chuckled softly and circled them slowly.  
"I doubt your even a daughter of Aphrodite. I think your more of a daughter of Persephone since your dad is mortal." Drew said, smirking.  
"Don't you ever talk about my dad or else, I will gut you like a damn fish!" Scarlet threatened.  
Drew laughed, "Oh you, ten years old are so cute and innocent unless your a child of Aphrodite then your just sweet and cute. Besides Mom won't except you truely, unless you complete a Rite of Passage..."  
Nico's eyes got wide with fear and hurt.  
"What's that?" Scarlet asked.  
"You have to break someone that you love's heart." Drew explained.  
"I'm not doing that period." Scarlet excalimed.  
"Fine, then you won't be accepted by Mother then." Drew said, with a little happiness in her voice.  
"Drew, I don't care what the heck mom thinks of me because to be honest, I'm never gonna be like you or anybody else in Cabin 10. And if you don't like that. I couldn't care less because the only thing that matters to me is what I think of myself. I'm not trying to impress anybody here. I'm just here to train and make friends and I don't want to be friends much less related to someone as spoiled as you. Now I have more important matter to attend to so see ya sista." Scarlet told her sister then took Nico's hand and walked deeper in the woods, leaving a shocked look on Drew's face.  
Scarlet looked over her shoulder to see if her sister was following and thank the gods she wasn't/ She turned her attention back to Nico, who was sitting down on a log with a flower in her hands. The flower was white with pink splots like someone threw paint on them. Smiling softly, Scarlet sat down next to him. Nico moved a piece of her hair away from her face and put the flower in.  
"It's an asphodel, the flower of the dead." Nico explained.  
"It's beautiful." Scarlet exclaimed.  
"Well it is the most beautiful flower in the Underworld." Nico slightly, joked.  
Scarlet smiled and quickly kissed his cheek in a friendly way.  
"Thank you." she said in a quiet voice.  
She set her head on his shoulder and looked around. The sunlight shone through the leaves of the tall trees, making spotlights on the dirt path. Scarlet heard a slight rustling in the bushes behind her and she instantly sprung to her feet. She was about to pulls out her dagger then a camper jumped out of the bushes, making roaring sound, as if trying to scare them.  
Scarlet rolled her eyes and pushed the camper into the bushes.  
"James, what are you doing out here?" Nico asked, helping him up.  
"I was hiking when I found you two," James wiped off his pants. "Did I scare you?"  
Scarlet and Nico exhanged a questioning look.  
"Sure." Yeah." they both said.  
"Awesome!" James said, excitedly.  
"Now, I think that it's about time that we all go back for breakfast," Nico grabbed Scarlet's hand and hurriedly walked out of the woods with James running after them, calling for them to wait up for him.  
Scarlet jumped on Nico's back and together the melted into the shadows, allowing James to catch up with them, although James was confused to where they went. When Scarlet jumped out of the shadows and tackled James to the ground. Nico melted out of the shadows, laughing so hard, he thought he was going to cry and pulled Scarlet and James to their feets.  
The three of them walked together to the mess hall. Scarlet got in line with her cabin while Nico and James went with their cabins. Grabbing a plate of pancakes and a glass of chocolate milk, she had to go sit with her cabin, but she sat on the far end of the table, trying to sit as far from the others as possible. Her siblings looked at her in discust.  
"Scarlet, why are you dressed like someone died?" her sister, Madisyn asked.  
"Well my father is a Mortician, so you have your answer." She answered, ripping a piece of a pancake, dipping it in chocolate cyrup then eating it.  
Madisyn squealed, "Ew, your dad's a Mortician, that's so gross! (A/N I don't have anything against Mortician. )  
"I don't see nothing wrong with that." Scarlet said.  
"Why would Mother fall for someone like your creepy father?" Madisyn asked.  
"How about you take your butt up to Olympus and ask her, your damn self!" Scarlet said, snapping at her.  
Madisyn whimpered slightly and didn't say anything else after that.  
Everyone turned their attention to Chiron, who was at the head table.  
"Campers, Friday night, we will be having a Capture the Flag, which right now, the Ares cabin holds the victory."  
A loud cheer came up from Cabin 5.  
Scarlet leaned over and asked her sister, Ashlynn, "Has Cabin 10 ever won a game of Capture the Flag?"  
Ashlynn shook her head no slowly. A smirk came over Scarlet's face. Maybe this could be how she would prove something to her cabin and the whole camp that she was not just another child of Aphrodite.

* * *

Scarlet aimed at the far target. She shot the arrow dead center. Then she spun arond and whizzed through the obstacle course, stopping in front of Nico.  
"You made a new record! 28 seconds!" Nico said, giving her a high-five.  
"This definately is going to help me out for the Capture the Flag game in two days." Scarlet plucked her arrow out of the wood of the target.  
"The whole camp maybe even Olymps maybe in shock if a daughter of Aphrodite won a game of Capture the Flag." Nico said.  
Scarlet smiled proudly. She was going to prove that there is a lot more to a daughter of Aphrodite then just beauty.  
The conch blew for lnch and Scarlet walked with Nico to the mess hall. She did her usual routine of sitting as far away from her sister and dipping her fries in her ice cream.  
Drew plopped own in front of her and eyed her like she was her next meal.  
"So, goth gir, what's your plan for the game Friday," she asked, picking a tomato from her salad and popping it into her mouth.  
"Go away, Drew." Scarlet said, stirring her melted ice cream.  
"Well, well, fiesty are we? But, just for you to know, the Ares kids don't joke when it comes to Capture the Flag." she tood nup and carried her lnch back to her usual spot at the table.  
Scarlet knew the Ares kids would kill her if she won but she didn't care plus she had no help from her sisters. She knew that the only thing the Aphrodite cabin did, was looking at their reflection in the lake or gossip about the other campers' love lives.  
"Thank the gods, I was raised right and that I will never in a millon years end up like my pink-loven brothers and sister!" she thought.  
She finished eating and left the mess hall, instantly walking to her and Nico's hide out. She pushed away the moss from their secret cave area. Scarlet sat on the rock that they used as a chair. She heard Nico whistle. She whisled back, letting him step in. He smiled at her and sat on the other rock across from her.  
"I have a plan for Friday," Nico said, and pulled a sketch pad from his bag, "It's pretty obvious that it'd be really hard for you to win without any help from your cabin."  
Scarlet nodded in agreement as Nico explained his plan.  
"Okay, first off: I got you some teammates.." Nico said, opening his sketch book to the first page. "Your teammates are, Alexander, James, Jackie, Vanessa, Pablo, Lena, Mckenzie, Michelle and Shelbi." Nico finished calling out the names.  
"How are eleven campers suppose to defeat the entire Ares cabin?" Scarlet asked.  
"I honestly don't know but wanna go train? Chiron really wants to see you shoot some arrows."  
Scarlet gave him the what-in-the-name-of-Hades-are-you-talking-about look.  
"Okay, I may have bragged to everyone about your awesome archery skills and agility." Nico confessed.  
"You what!?" Scarlet yelled, standing up.  
Her eyes went from green to blazing green. Nico though she had greek fire dancing in her eyes at that moment.  
If you didn't think Nico was scared, you'd be wrong. He was scared he might have peed his pants.  
"Scarlet, calm down. I did you a favor." Nico explained, holding his hands in front of him, like he was being held at gun point, execpt it was more like dagger-point.  
"A favor?! You call bragging to the whole camp about my skills. I told you before, NIco. I didn't want to be compared to the other campers. I just want to blend in..." Scarlet said, looking hurt.  
"I'm sorry, Scarlet. By the way, you will never blend in here at camp. You're too special." Nico said, hugging her tightly, putting his head on her shoulder.  
Scarlet looked at him, "What do you mean by that?" She questioned him.  
"Well, your personality is dark and more awesomer than your siblings. You're the only demigod I've ever met that has tamed a wild hellhound. You're determed to win Capture the Flag and prove everyone your not like your siblings,who would rather talk and do make-up or spread rumors about everyone." Nico explained, earning a smile for Scarlet.  
"You also forgot that I saved your butt from Medusa, a couple days ago!" Scarlet said, proudly, punching Nico's arm.  
"Ow! I'm trying to forget that part of that day." Nico said, rubbing his "injured" arm. "By the way you hit hard."  
"Good!" Scarlet laughed.  
"Nico? Scarlet?" A voice questioned.  
Nico and Scarlet quit laughing and looked at each other.  
Somebody moved the moss causing them to hold their breath.  
"Thank the gods, I found you two, before Chiron did or else you'd have a month of kitchen duty."  
Nico looked up at the saytr and smiled.  
"Hey man!" Nico said, high-fiving the saytr.  
"Hey Nico, how's the Underworld treating you?" the saytr asked.  
"Real good, Grover. Real good."  
Grover nodded, "Let's get you two back to camp. We got some visitors."

* * *

Scarlet looked in shock and awe when Grover told her and Nico that the Gods were here.  
"Honey!" A lady, who was standing by her cabin came over and hugged her tightly.  
"Mom?" Scarlet asked the lady when she let go of Scarlet.  
"Of course, silly." Her mom said.  
Scarlet looked her mom over. Aphrodite was wearing a medium length bright pink dress with white six-inch heels. Her blonde platneim hair flowing around her shoulders.  
Scarlet looked around at the other gods and their kids then looked at her siblings and mom.  
Everyone else looked like their godly parent where Scarlet looked nothing like her mom or her siblings, not that she was complaining.  
Chiron trotted over, with Nico.  
"Okay, let's see if all the stuff Nico had bragged about is true. Scarlet, you have your bow?" Chiron asked.  
Scarlet nodded and her bracelet turned into her bow and arrow. She threw the quiver onto her back then walked over to the targets. She could feel everyone's eyes on her. Scarlet turned around and looked at Nico worriedly. He smiled at her, know she could make the shot then turned away from her.  
Scarlet smirked, getting an idea. She got her arrow ready to shoot. Just as she was ready to shoot, she turned and released the arrow, shooting Nico in the butt.  
Nico screamed in pain.  
"Pay backs a real pain in the butt, huh Neeks?!" Scarlet laughed.  
Nico glared at her and whimpered in pain as he pulled the arrow out of his injured butt. She turned around to face everyone else.  
"Anyone else want an arrow in their butt? No? Then I guess where done here." Smirking, she grabbed Nico by his hair and dragged him to the infirmary.  
"This is absuse...to my poor butt! What did it ever do to you, Scar?... my poor, poor abused butt...injured by your stupid arrow!" Nico cryed and yelled, trying to pet his butt.  
Scarlet rolled her eyes and threw him some anabrosia and necter.  
"You abuse me too much... I'm telling my daddy on you!" Nico said, sticking his tongue out at her.  
Scarlet looked at him, "Really, Neeks, really?  
"Nico, your father isn't going to care about your butt." A voice said.  
Scarlet turned her head to see Apollo and Artemis standing in the doorway, as Nico pouted.  
"Hello, Lady Artemis, Lord Apollo." Scarlet said, polietly, feeling weird a little.  
"Hello, daughter of Aphrodite," Artemis said, nodding at Scarlet. "That was quite a show you did."  
"I thought it was funny." Apollo said, looking over at Artemis, who glared at him. "Come on, sis, you have to admit it was hilarious!"  
"Grow up, Apollo." Artemis scolded him.  
"Apollo! Can chu fix my injured butt?!" Nico yelled, feeling ignored.  
Apollo laughed and walked over to him as Artemis pulled Scarlet aside while Apollo bandaged up Nico's butt.  
"So I was told by your sister, Drew, that you wanted to join the hunters? Is this true?" the goddess asked.  
" I admit, I was thinking about it, just to get away from my siblings and mom whe I first found out I was Aphrodite's daughter," Scarlet confessed, shivering. "But... if I joined that would mean losing my best friend." Scarlet said, looking over at Nico, who was beginning to annoy Apollo.  
"You shot him in the butt with an arrow on purpose." the goddess questioned, getting slightly confused.  
" He needed to get shot in the butt."  
Artemis laughed, "All boys need to get shot with arrows and not just in the butt, " she said, sending a glance towards Apollo. "Well good luck with your siblings, you're going to need it." Artemis said, before disappearing in a cloud of silver smoke.  
"Thanks for the luck, Lady Artemis..." Scarlet whispered before walking back to over to Nico, who was sucking on a lollipop.  
"Apollo gave me a lollipop." Nico said, proudly, pulling the grape candy from his mouth.  
"Where did Apollo go, Neeks?" Scarlet asked.  
"He went back to Olympus with Artemis." Nico answered going back to his "special" lollipop. The daughter of Aphrodite shook her head at the mental son of Hades.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, Mcdonalds, Barbie or Olive Garden. **

Back in her own cabin, Scarlet was watching her siblings do there usual things, as if she wasn't even there, which she really didn't want to be.  
Have you ever notice that things seem so easy for everyone else? They have all the cool clothes. They know all the right people. They get invited to all the best parties, and you're just left here on the outside. They'd be perfectly happy if you never even existed, and they always seem to get exactly what they want. But not this time.  
Scarlet was done with the way, everyone in the cabin, tried so hard just to be perfect, it made her embarrassed just to be Aphrodite's daughter. Confusing? Yeah don't worry it confuses Scarlet as well.  
"Hey, death girl! Get over here now!" Drew ordered.  
Rolling her eyes, Scarlet jumped off the her bunk and forced herself to walk over to Drew, who was standing by the hair-and-make-up table.  
"What do you want?" Scarlet said, very annoyed.  
Smirking, Drew grabbed her arm and pulled her down into the chair then tied her in.  
"What in the name of Hades are you doing!?" Scarlet yelled, glaring at Drew.  
"You're getting a make-over! From mother!" Drew said, cheerfully, causing Scarlet to get a "Holy Hades" look on her face.  
As if one cue, Aphrodite popped into the cabin in a mixture of perfume and pink smoke, either way, Scarlet gagged.  
"Honey!" Aphrodite said, happily and hugged Scarlet again for the second time that day.  
"Mother, Scarlet here is dying for a make-over. Literally." Drew said, placing a hand on Aphrodite and Scarlet.  
Aphrodite turned to Drew, "What a wonderful idea, sweetie." She said then turned to Scarlet, "I don't want my youngest baby feeling unloved by her mommy." the goddess said, smiling at Scarlet, who in her mind kept saying,  
"Kill me. Kill me. Kill me..." with absolute fear in her eyes.  
"I have a better idea! Scarlet; me and you are going to spend the day together! Fun right?" Aphrodite smiled at Scarlet.  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Scarlet screamed, bloody murder.  
Drew and Aphrodite covered their ears while everyone else ran out. They don't want to be around Scarlet, because well she had quite a pair of lungs on her.  
"See, I told you it was an awesome idea!" Aphrodite yelled to Drew, over Scarlet's mega loud screaming.  
Drew nodded quickly, not wanting to show how jealoud she was that Scarlet got to spend a whole day with their mom when she didn't even get to spend an hour with her!  
The goddess of love and beauty finally managed to shut her young daughter up with a lot of help from some duct-tape, and about five scarfs.  
Scarlet glared at her mother as she untied the scarfs and ripped the tape, then held her hand as she transported both of them into the busy streets on Manhatten.  
"Alright, where do you want to go to for lunch, sweetie?" Aphrodite asked, looking at the young demigod.  
Scarlet thought for a moment and looked around. Her eyes landed on her and Nico's favorite fast food place: Mcdonalds. Scarlet looked back at her mother and pointed to Mcdonalds.  
The goddess's nose crinckled, "Sweetie... I was hoping hoping for something more fancy, perhaps Olive Garden. **(A/N I know there are fancier resteraunts in Manhattan, but that pretty much the only one I know of. )**  
The young dark-clothed demigod grabbed her mother's hand and pulled her towards the fast food resteraunt. Her mom looked around in disappointment that a daughter of hers would ever eat... no wait...even look at a place like this. Scarlet pulled Aphrodite to the counter to order.  
"I'll have a six-piece chicken Mcnuggets kids meal and a medium Cherry Berry Chiller. And don't forget my toy! Oh and my mom will have a bottle of water and one fry," She leaned over and whispered to the guy behind the counter who had a confused look on his face, "She's on a diet."  
He nodded and Aphrodite handed Scarlet a twenty-dollar bill which she gladly handed to the guy.  
Another lady brought out Scarlet's Happy Meal and handed Aphrodite, both of the drinks.  
Aphrodite walked outside, happy to just be out of the fast food joint. She set the drinks down on a table and Scarlet put her Happy Meal on it, to get out her toy.  
"Aw, it's a stupid Barbie doll." Scarlet said, pouting.  
"At least, they give out good toys..." Aphrodite said, eyeing her water.  
"They do...but I use them as target or rip their heads off or burn them." Scarlet said, thinking of what to do to the doll.  
She put it back into the box then pulled out her fries and chicken nuggets.  
"How can you eat that junk?" the goddess asked.  
"Like this..." Scarlet said, taking a bite of a nugget that was covered in mustand and ranch dressing.  
"You remind me so much of your father."  
"How come you left?" Scarlet asked, looking up into her mother's blue eyes.  
"Oh honey, I didn't want to but I had too. Zeus made it a law that us gods can't stay with our demigod children. I think out of all my kids, I have to say, your the one I'm most proud of. By the way, you're a spitting image of your father, which is a first for a child of mine." Aphrodite said, proudly putting a arm around her daughter, who did something she never thought she would have done in a million years. She hugged her mom.  
"What was that for? I hugged you before but you never hugged me back." Aphrodite questioned.  
"Because, now I can go yell at Zeus for depriving me of a mother. And by the way I don't want a make-over. I want a volcano so I can push Drew into it." Scarlet said, imagining Drew burning to death.  
"You scare me, sometimes." Aphrodite said, backing away from her, a little.  
Shrugging Scarlet went back to eating her ranch-and-mustand covered chicken nuggets and fries.

* * *

"Hey, mom, ever been to a cemetary?" Scarlet asked her mom, ripping the Barbie's hair out and throwing it on the ground as she walked with her mother.  
"Yeah, your father took me to one, once. I really don't see how he cand stand being around death all day." Ahrodite said, shivering.  
"So in other words, your saying my father is a mortal verison of Hades?" Scarlet questioned.  
"Now that I think about it, yes I am." Aphrodite said, stopping in front of a graveyard, "Are you saying I'm getting feelings for Hades?!"  
"Maybe you do, I have been told, I'm very attractive." A voice said from beside them.  
"Hades! What are you doing here?" the goddess demanded.  
"It's a graveyard, Aphrodite. I'm always around. But the main reason I'm here is because Nico wanted me to be here so he can play." Hades said sitting on a rock with Aphrodite next to him.  
Scarlet ran up to Nico and poked him, "Wanna play our game?!"  
"Yeah!"  
Nico grabbed her hands and ran towards to were the two gods were sitting. Scarlet and Nico joined hands and begun to chant together:  
" 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, release the one ingnored by heaven.  
8, 9, 10, now run and hide or join (him) her at Hades's side.  
11 comes, the clocks with chime forgotten souls erased by time.  
Midnight comes, it's not to late, so KILL THE GHOST OR SEAL YOUR FATE!"  
Realeasing hands, Nico chased Scarlet around the graves while Hades and Aphrodite talked.  
" I like the chant." Hades said, laughing as Nico jumped out from behind a gravestone and tackled Scarlet to the ground.  
"Of course, you did, because it's about death." Aphrodite said, blowing a strand of blonde hair out of her face.  
"Well I am the god of death. Plus I never thought I'd see the day a child of yours become best friends with a child of mine." Hades told her.  
"Same." Aphrodite said, nodding in agreement.  
The god of the Underworld and the goddess of love turned their attention back to the children who were sitting on a grave stone. Well Scarlet was on the stone and Nico was laying on the ground, talking to a rock.  
"What's the rock saying, now?" Scarlet said, trying to conceal her laughter.  
"Shush child, the magic rock is beginning to talk to me." Nico ordered, with his eyes shut tight and his pale hands rubbing his temple, like he had a headache.  
Scarlet groaned, "I hate waiting! Tell the rock to hurry!"  
"Patience young one!" Nico told her, holding his hand out, as if he was telling her to shut up.  
"Slapping his hand away, Scarlet shoot back, "I have no patience, you little pain in the butt!"  
Nico whinced remembering earlier that day.  
"You abuse me too much." Nico scowled.  
"Yes, but it's my way of caring."  
"Aw, Scarlet!" NIco said, hugging her tightly, causing her to move away from him.  
"Why did you hug me? You know how I feel about hugs." Scarlet said, shivering.  
"Sowwie. But the rock told me that your pet fishy died! I'm so sowwie!" Nico cried.  
Scarlet looked at him weirdly. What fishy? The only pets she had were dogs and only one died, but that was when she was a couple months old. Maybe even almost a year old. She didn't know. But she did have a lot of puppies and dogs; and seventy-five percent of them were strays.  
"Nico, I never had a fish. Nor do I want one." Scarlet said, putting a hand on Nico's shoulder.  
He looked up at her, his eyes red and puffy from crying so hard. "You mean the rock lied?!" Nico asked.  
"Yeah. You should stick with the nuggets instead." Scarlet told him, trying not to laugh.


End file.
